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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. mine — for digging
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. suit — clothes
  6. pound — a weight
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. drill — army training
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. drill — a practice
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. suit — in cards
  19. suit — to fit
  20. drill — the tool
  21. sharp — clever
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. lash — a whip stroke

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com